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Smoking and Heart Disease, Stroke, and Peripheral Artery Disease						Español (Spanish)							Print
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										What Are Heart Disease, Stroke, and Peripheral Artery Disease?Heart disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease are cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) diseases (CVDs).1
**Heart disease** includes several types of heart conditions. The most common type in the United States is coronary heart disease (also known as coronary artery disease). Coronary heart disease occurs when the walls of arteries that carry blood to the heart are narrowed by plaque, a process known as atherosclerosis.2,3This can cause:
Chest pain2
Heart attack (when blood flow to the heart becomes blocked and a section of the heart muscle is damaged or dies)2,4
Heart failure (when the heart cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to support other organs)2,5
Arrhythmia (when the heart beats too fast, too slow, or irregularly)2,6A **stroke** occurs when the blood supply to the brain is blocked or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, causing parts of the brain to become damaged or die.7 Stroke can cause disability (such as paralysis, muscle weakness, trouble speaking, or memory loss)7 or death.
**Peripheral artery disease (PAD)**is the narrowing or blocking of peripheral arteries, the vessels that carry blood from the heart to other parts of the body.8Similar to coronary heart disease, this narrowing or blockage is often caused by plaque in the arteries.8
PAD is most common in the legs and lower body but can also occur in the arms and upper body. PAD can typically cause muscle pain during physical activity, like walking, that quickly gets better after resting.9 Other symptoms of PAD can include having feelings of weakness or numbness in the legs that make it feel harder to walk or having one arm or leg feel colder than the other.8,10Top of PageHow Is Smoking Related to Heart Disease, Stroke, and Peripheral Artery Disease?Cigarette smoking is a major cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and causes one of every four deaths from CVD.12 Smoking can:12
Raise triglycerides (a type of fat in your blood)
Lower “good” cholesterol (HDL)
Make blood sticky and more likely to clot, which can block blood flow to the heart and brain
Damage cells that line the blood vessels
Increase the buildup of plaque (fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances) in blood vessels
Cause thickening and narrowing of blood vesselsTop of PageHow Is Breathing Secondhand Smoke Related to Heart Disease and Stroke?Breathing secondhand smoke can also harm your health. Secondhand smoke is the smoke from burning tobacco products.11,13,14 Secondhand smoke also is smoke breathed out by someone smoking.13,14
Breathing secondhand smoke can cause coronary heart disease and stroke.12,13,14 Know the facts:11
Secondhand smoke causes nearly 34,000 early deaths from coronary heart disease each year in the United States among nonsmokers.
Nonsmokers who breathe secondhand smoke at home or at work increase their risk of developing heart disease by 25–30%. Secondhand smoke increases the risk for stroke by 20−30%.
Each year, secondhand smoke exposure causes more than 8,000 deaths from stroke.
Breathing secondhand smoke interferes with the normal functioning of the heart, blood, and vascular systems in ways that increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
Even briefly breathing secondhand smoke can damage the lining of blood vessels and cause your blood to become stickier. These changes can lead to a heart attack.Top of PageHow Can Heart Disease, Stroke, and Peripheral Artery Disease Be Prevented?Cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease and stroke, are major causes of death and disability in the United States. Many people are at high risk for these diseases and don’t know it. The good news is that many risk factors for cardiovascular diseases can be prevented or controlled.
It’s important to know your risk for cardiovascular disease and to take action to reduce that risk. A good place to start is with the ABCS of heart health:16
**A**spirin: Aspirin may help reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke. But do not take aspirin if you think you are having a stroke. It can make some types of stroke worse. Before taking aspirin, talk to your doctor about whether aspirin is right for you.
**B**lood pressure: Control your blood pressure.
**C**holesterol: Manage your cholesterol.
**S**moking: Quit smoking, or don’t start.In addition to following the ABCS, you can also protect the health of your heart, brain, and blood vessels by:15,16
Avoiding secondhand smoke.
Eating fresh fruits and vegetables.
Eating low-fat, low-salt foods most of the time.
Maintaining a healthy weight.
Being physically active regularly.
Limiting alcohol use.
Controlling other health conditions (such as diabetes).On This Page
			What Are Heart Disease, Stroke, and Peripheral Artery Disease?How Is Smoking Related to Heart Disease, Stroke, and Peripheral Artery Disease?How Is Breathing Secondhand Smoke Related to Heart Disease and Stroke?How Can Heart Disease, Stroke, and Peripheral Artery Disease Be Prevented?Related StoriesReferences
		
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Tammy W. started smoking menthol cigarettes at age 21. At age 44, she learned she had heart disease and needed open-heart surgery. She says if she can save even one person from smoking, her experience will have been worth it.
*“You don’t get a do-over on some things. Don’t smoke because you will lose something that matters to you.”*
**Real stories about heart disease and stroke:**
Brian H.
Elizabeth B.
Ethan B.
Mariano Z.
Noel S.
Roosevelt S.
Suzy E.
Tonya M.

	Tammy W.Tammy W. quit smoking menthol cigarettes after she had open-heart surgery because of heart disease. She says if she can save even one person from smoking, her experience will have been worth it.*“You don’t get a do-over on some things. Don’t smoke because you will lose something that matters to you.”*
**Real stories about heart disease and stroke:**
Brian H.
 	Elizabeth B.
 	Ethan B.
 	Mariano Z.
 	Noel S.
 	Roosevelt S.
 	Suzy E.
 	Tonya M.Related StoriesTonya M., a participant in the *Tips From Former Smokers*® (*Tips*®) campaign, smoked cigarettes for more than 23 years and was diagnosed with heart failure when she was 38. Tonya eventually had a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) surgically inserted inside her chest. The LVAD is a battery-operated mechanical pump that helps her weakened heart continuously move blood through her body. For more information about LVADs, visit the American Heart Association’s website.
Brian H., another *Tips* campaign participant, smoked heavily and had a heart attack at age 35. He learned how important it was to quit—and to stay quit. By doing so, he eventually qualified for and received a precious gift—a heart transplant. For more information about organ donation, go to organdonor.gov.ReferencesU.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A Report of the Surgeon General. The Health Consequences of Smoking. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2004 [accessed 2022 Feb 7].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Heart Disease [last reviewed 2021 September 27; accessed 2022 Feb 7].
U.S. National Library of Medicine. Coronary Heart Disease [updated 2022 Feb 4; accessed 2022 Feb 7].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery [last updated 2022 July 11; accessed 2023 Mar 6].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart Failure Fact Sheet [last reviewed 2020 September 8; accessed 2022 Feb 7].
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. What is an Arrhythmia? [accessed 2022 Feb 7].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Stroke [last reviewed 2021 August 2; accessed 2022 Feb 7].
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A Report of the Surgeon General. Smoking Cessation. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2020 [accessed 2023 Oct 4].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Peripheral Artery Disease. [last reviewed 2022 Dec 19; accessed 2023 Oct 16].
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. What is Peripheral Artery Disease? [last reviewed 2022 Mar 24; accessed 2023 Oct 11].
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014 [accessed 2022 Feb 7].
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A Report of the Surgeon General. How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: What It Means to You. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2010 [accessed 2022 Feb 7].
Institute of Medicine. Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Cardiovascular Effects: Making Sense of the Evidence. Washington: National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine, 2009 [accessed 2022 Feb 7].
National Toxicology Program. 15th Report on Carcinogens. Research Triangle Park (NC): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, 2021 [accessed 2023 Mar 6].
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2006 [accessed 2022 Feb 7].
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Million Hearts® [last reviewed: 2022 January 20; accessed 2022 Feb 7].Top of Page
							
					
							Last Reviewed:  February 5, 2024						Source: 	Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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